Bookshelf Archives - Home With Purpose

Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere: A Fibonacci Tale (Review Crew)

November 10, 2015 By Kara Leave a Comment

Rabbits Rabbits Everywhere by Ann McCallum - HomeWithPurpose.net

I’m a huge proponent of literature based learning – in EVERY subject.

Yes, even math and science! What better way to learn skills and facts than in the context in which they were developed or discovered, or in a story where they’re actually being used? I’ve always used literature to supplement our studies in these subjects: biographies of famous scientists and mathematicians, fun “math adventure” books, etc.

Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere from Ann McCallum Books falls into that latter category. It’s a fun picture book designed to teach the concept of the Fibonacci sequence to young children through a story. The Fibonacci sequence is a pattern of numbers in which each number equals the sum of the previous two numbers (so: 0…1…1…2…3…5…8…13…21 and so on). This pattern can be seen all around us in nature, so it’s a fun concept to teach to young students! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bookshelf, Education at Home, Elementary, Review Crew

Classical Conversations: Challenging Your Student with a Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins (Review Crew)

August 3, 2015 By Kara Leave a Comment

Y’all. I have been such a slacker this summer.

August is here, and I haven’t done a lick of preparation for the new school year! It’s kind of a big year too – Kaitlyn’s senior year and Kyle’s freshmen year, with Kendall and Kade in 4th and 1st. I’m not totally unprepared…I do have a general idea of what we’ll be doing and I have most (not all) of the materials we need, but I haven’t done any organizing or preparing. So, now you know how I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks, lol. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bookshelf, Education at Home, High School, Mom's Bookshelf, Review Crew

Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation

November 12, 2014 By Kara Leave a Comment

If you’ve read Home With Purpose for very long, you know that I’m always on the lookout for great discipleship resources for our family.

Resources that communicate the concept that the Bible is one cohesive story of God’s plan of redemption, the reasonableness of our faith, or how God works in the world, among other things, are all worth a look for me.

Well, a few weeks, ago, I received a very unique book to review with my family. Purposeful Design: Understanding the Creation by Jay Schabacker is different than anything else I’ve seen. It’s a gorgeous hardbound book that explores the days of creation from both a scientific and devotional standpoint. The premise of the book is that creation had not only an intelligent designer, but also a purposeful one. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bookshelf, Education at Home, Family Bookshelf, Review Crew

Jonathan Edwards: Christian Biographies for Young Readers

October 16, 2014 By Kara 1 Comment

I’ve written often about the importance of teaching our kids about their spiritual heritage.

Being familiar with the major historical events and important figures in the history of the church helps them understand how we got where we are now, and feel that sense of heritage and connection with fellow believers in the past. This, along with communicating the concept that the Bible is one cohesive story of God’s plan of redemption, are things I consider absolutely crucial.

Simonetta Carr’s Christian Biographies for Young Readers are a valuable tool in this task. The publisher describes the series this way:

The Christian Biographies for Young Readers introduces children to important people in the Christian tradition. Parents and school teachers alike will welcome the excellent educational value it provides for students, while the quality of the publication and the artwork make each volume a keepsake for generations to come. Furthermore, the books in the series go beyond the simple story of someone’s life by teaching young readers the historical and theological relevance of each character.

Questions Christians Ask: Can I really trust the Bible?

September 25, 2014 By Kara 3 Comments

I’m always on the look out for solid, biblical resources on different theological topics to discuss with my teens.

The Questions Christian Ask series from The Good Book Company is just the kind of thing I’m looking for. These little books cover common questions about our faith like: “How will the world end?”, “How can I be sure?”, and “Why did Jesus have to die?”, thoughtfully, thoroughly, and biblically.

I just finished reading through the newest title, Can I really trust the Bible? and other questions about Scripture, truth and how God speaks, by Barry Cooper. This volume discusses the Bible’s claims about itself, how the Bible is unique compared to other ways God speaks to us, the consistency of the text, how we got the canon, and more.

Here’s the publisher’s description of the book: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bookshelf, Family Discipleship, Mom's Bookshelf

1 Samuel For You by Tim Chester (Mom’s Bookshelf)

August 14, 2014 By Kara 1 Comment

The beginning of the school year, with its new routine, is a great opportunity for fresh starts in other areas too.

I enjoy starting something new personally also, whether that be a Bible study, exercise routine, or something else. I’m actually doing both of those as we start this school year:

I’ve started walking a mile 4 or 5 mornings a week (which also offers me a chance to listen to podcasts and/or Bible studies uninterrupted for 30 minutes or so)
I’m working my way through 1 Samuel For You for personal study

1 Samuel for You by Tim Chester is part of the God’s Word For You series published by The Good Book Company. These books,written by Tim Chester, Tim Keller, and several others, are expository guides that take you verse by verse through a book of the Bible in a very accessible, practical way. They can be used for personal study and devotion, or as preparation for teaching others (to “read, feed, and lead”, as the series description puts it).

In this clip, Tim Keller explains a little bit about the series: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bookshelf, Mom's Bookshelf, One Story